Lotus Revives U.S. Presence

Group Lotus plc will resume its sales presence in the U.S. about one year from now when the company rolls out a U.S.-compliant version of its Evora sports car.

The company also is moving its American headquarters from Lawrenceville, Ga., to Ann Arbor, Mich., in July.

Lotus didn't offer a 2015 model of the Evora in the U.S. because the $70,000 car was unable to meet a federal standard requiring "smart" airbags. Such systems use seat sensors to determine whether to deploy and with how much force. The company presented an updated version of the Evora in March at the Geneva auto show.

The new Evora will be powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 engine that Lotus says can propel the car from zero to 60 mph in about 4.1 seconds.